Acharya Prashant advises not to look at the world as different from Shiva, but rather as the hand of Shiva. When one does this, one will not expect from the world what must be expected from Shiva. He uses the analogy of a master and a loyal servant: one would never go to a servant and ask for something that the master has refused. Similarly, one should not ask from the world what the master of the world has refused. It is a foolish approach to try and bribe the servant, the world, with things like gold, riches, or pleasure to get peace when the master, Shiva, is not giving it. The speaker emphasizes that the master and the servant are one; Shakti and Shiva are one. The creator and his creation are one. Therefore, what you cannot get from God, you will not get from the world. It is an unpardonable sin to seek from the world what can only be sought from God. He illustrates this with the example of a materialistic person who, unable to get God's love, seeks a substitute in the world, which he likens to God's dog. This is a flawed approach because the world cannot offer what God can. The correct way is to understand that the world belongs to you only if you first belong to the world's master. If you are on good terms with the master, the servant (the world) will be good to you. If you are devoted to Shiva, Shakti (the world) is bound to be kind to you. The godly man enjoys the world; for him, the world itself is heaven. If you find that the world is a place of torment, you should immediately realize that you are not truly one with Shiva. Had you really belonged to Shiva, the world would have belonged to you.
